At first I was unsure about it. The HUGE increase in paddle area coupled with the (possibly) gimmicky double-bend didn't seem to be any better than my already proven favorite, KIALOA's Keone...
But, Dave and Meg Chun asked me to try it out and give them feedback, so I dedicated almost 90 days this past year to using KIALOA's Tahitian Double-bend exclusively while on my one-man.

I AM SO GLAD I DID.

It is my new favorite paddle, and I can't wait to get another one!

The solid catch, and positive feel found in all of KIALOA's paddles are magnified in this one.

Immediate bursts, as well as higher sustained speeds are realized now at lower energy outputs. I find this to be the highest performing paddle I own.

I would not recommend this paddle for beginners, especially if you are paddling without the aid of a very experienced coach.

There are two drawbacks that I've found: first of all, it takes a while to get used to this paddle.

The double-bend was easy to use right off the bat, but the blade face area was NOT. It required a couple of months of learning to paddle with it, and I've changed my stroke some in order to find the best way to use it.

Secondly, the blade flexes a little too much for me. The flex is very slight, and at first I welcomed it, seeing as the catch and hold were SO MUCH stronger than what I was used to. But now that I'm used to it, I could really use a little more stiffness. The one I use now is a prototype, and Dave assures me that the production models will be stiffened by a longer dihedral down the blade face.

In summary, despite the time it takes to learn how to use it, this is the best paddle I've ever owned.